« Wiretaps, Security and Excuses | Main | Sometimes You Just Have to Laugh »
December 20, 2005
Another Thought on The Wiretap Flap
I had another thought about the wiretaps. We all are aware of the potentially dangerous implications of the President's actions. One can also understand the desire to act quickly in the face of extreme threats. We also need the ability to adapt our surveillance methods to new technologies, which might make the court order thing problematic, see Kevin Drum's article in the Washington Monthly.
The bottom line though is the intent. What was the White House intent? Were they trying to be bullies? Were they willing to compromise with Congress? Did they think Congress did not also want to protect the country? Were they intent on maintaining secrecy? And if so, why? Did they have respect for Congress? The courts? The democratic process? Did they know they were walking on shaky ground?
I usually feel that one should "Do the right thing." If we think about something, especially a difficult decision, weigh all the options and think about the implications to ourselves and others, including in this case, democracy and the ideals of our country, we should know what that right thing is and act on it. They could have done the right thing but they decided to ignore it for personal and professional gain. Their game is power, not necessarily governing a democracy. They can't seem to have enough.
Posted by Chip Spear at December 20, 2005 9:40 AM